Gas turbine engines conventionally include a nacelle surrounding an engine core within a core compartment. The core compartment includes the gas turbine engine power and accessory sections such as the compressor, combustor, and turbine sections of the gas turbine engine. The core compartment is classified as a “Designated Fire Zone” as it contains ignition sources and the potential for flammable fluid leakage. An elastomeric seal in the core compartment may be used as a fire barrier, but unfortunately also traps hot air in the core compartment with limited ventilation after engine shutdown.
The trapped hot air may negatively affect the nacelle and the gas turbine engine components, lessening their durability. Moreover, under some conditions, the temperature of the core compartment after engine shutdown could potentially exceed the auto ignition temperatures of the ignition sources that may be present in the core compartment. Thus, the core compartment needs better ventilation to vent the hot air outside of the core compartment and quickly reduce the core compartment temperature after shutdown, while remaining sealed for fire hazard mitigation.